with a description of a new species of Laomedea. 85 



sequently two more made their appearance, and I could have 

 little doubt that they were the progeny of the Campanularia. 

 The zoophyte was covered with vesicles containing Medusoids in 

 various stages of development. One was observed working its 

 way slowly towards the orifice by means of the characteristic 

 jerk. It was furnished with curled arms resembling those of 

 the free Medusa in the watch-glass, and though I could not de- 

 termine its shape with accuracy, I have no doubt of the identity 

 of the two. 



The Medusa was an exquisite little creature, about the one- 

 fortieth of an inch in height, of graceful form and the purest 

 transparency. Its presence was indicated to the naked eye by 

 five opake white dots marking the four arms and the peduncle. 

 Its perfectly translucent umbrella could only be detected by the 

 aid of the microscope. My specimens only lived for two or three 

 days. During that period they were tolerably active, and jerked 

 themselves about in Medusa-fashion with some rapidity. 



The following is a description of the Medusoid (PL III. fig. 5). 

 Umbrella globose or subconic, a little depressed at the top, per- 

 fectly transparent ; a membranous veil round its inner margin. 

 Tentacles four, curling, muricate, colourless, springing from a 

 somewhat triangular tubercle. Between each pair of arms on 

 the margin there are three tubercles, the central one the largest ; 

 the two smaller ones have each a little circle or ocellus towards 

 the upper end. Radiating vessels four, very distinct, running to 

 the four tentacles. Subumbrella somewhat conic. Peduncle 

 short, swollen towards the base, with a narrow neck, and ex- 

 panding slightly towards the mouth. No colour could be de- 

 tected on any portion of the body. The arms were generally 

 curled up in three coils, but occasionally were unrolled. Height 

 ^^jth of an inch. 



I have seldom met with a lovelier being than this fairy-like 

 Medusa. In some points it reminded me of the Modeeria figured 

 in Professor Forbes^s ^ Monograph on the Naked- eyed Medusae.' 



The Campanularia was infested by a strange crustacean (?) 

 parasite. I observed one which had made its way within a cell, and 

 attached itself to the body of the polype. Afterwards it emerged 

 and fastened upon one of the tentacles. 



Laomedea geniculata and gelatinosa. 



The bell-shaped progeny of L. geniculata have nearly thirty 

 tentacles. There is a prominent ocellus at the base of every 

 other arm. The Medusoids are excluded in very different stages 

 of development ; some small, with the arms stunted; others much 

 larger, with the arms of considerable length. The Medusoids of 

 the Laomedea gelatinosa I have always found with sixteen arms. 



